Kidman and Penn in The Interpreter on DVD

Bonus Features Include Alternate Ending, Deleted Scenes, Featurettes

Feb 17, 2009

Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn star in the 2005 international thriller "The Interpreter."

When an interpreter at the United Nations overhears a plot to assassinate a dignitary, it puts her unwittingly in the center of the action – making her the prime suspect of the police and the prime victim of the assassins.

In The Interpreter, Nicole Kidman stars as Silvia Broome, a foreign-born interpreter whose parents were killed in a roadside bomb in Africa when she and her brother were young children. Still searching for her missing brother who hasn’t responded to emails and telephone calls, she finds herself in the middle of an international conflict when she informs the police and the U.S. Secret Service that she believes an African dignitary’s life is in danger.

She confides in federal agent Tobin Keller (Sean Penn) who finds her story hard to believe. Dealing with his own personal problems, he works closely with his partner (Catherine Keener) to determine whether Silvia needs to be investigated, arrested, watched, or protected. As the story twists and turns, the audience also questions its perceptions about the lovely interpreter.

Although scenes sometime extend a little beyond necessary (contributing to the 129-minute length of the film), The Interpreter makes an exciting international thriller in which psychological engagement plays a larger part than on-screen violence.

In addition to director commentary, this DVD includes an alternate ending (poignant, but unbelievable) and deleted scenes (nothing particularly noteworthy), which add little overall value to the DVD package. The four featurettes, however, contain highly interesting and entertaining footage about shooting on-location in Africa and inside the United Nations building. Director Sydney Pollack, the cast, and crew provide plenty of professional insights in these four behind-the-scenes pieces.

“Sydney Pollack at Work: From Concept to Cutting Room” features an interview with the director talking about how the script was developed and his amazement that stars Kidman and Penn signed on before the script was even finished. He also discusses additional challenges he encountered along the way.

“Interpreting Pan & Scan vs. Widescreen” is a short documentary with Pollack in which he talks about his early days studying film, acting, and eventually becoming a director. He’s a strong advocate of watching movies in widescreen rather than full screen format in order to get the complete story intended by the director.

“The Ultimate Movie Set: The United Nations” explores the interior of the United Nations (UN) building in New York City where the film was shot. Originally rejected in their request to film inside the UN building, Pollack and his team eventually got permission by convincing those in charge that the movie’s message is consistent with the goal of international peace.

The fourth featurette, “A Day in the Life of Real Interpreters” takes a look at the people who actually interpret inside the UN building on a daily basis. The differences between translators and interpreters are discussed, as well as insider tips about working in this highly specialized job. Viewers also get a brief tour of the facility.

The copyright of the article Kidman and Penn in The Interpreter on DVD in Action Films/Thrillers is owned by Leslie C. Halpern. Permission to republish Kidman and Penn in The Interpreter on DVD in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.